The realtime diaries of F.P. Welch 1913-1919

Monthly Archives: January 2017

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January 1917
Wednesday 31
Fine day. Very dry.
At office. Sydney away
owing to illness of his
father who is not expected
to recover. Lunched at
Cosy Tea rooms.
Not much doing.
At night time I bottled
plums & made plum
jam.

January 1917
Tuesday 30
Fine day. Very warm &
dry. Hard wind blowing
from North East. At office.
Saw Neil Madsen re house
in Hogg Crescent & he said
he would have a look at
same with view to purchase.
Bottled about 20 lbs of
plums at night.

War news state that the
Russians are making head
way against Turks & Ger
mans. Russo-Rumanians
checked Germans at the
Sereth river where the latter
are held up. Britain laying
mines to prevent Germans
leaving with submarines
from Kiel Canal & Heligoland,
making a stiff blockade.
On Western front there is
great artillery activity & raid
ing of enemy trenches by the
British troops.

January 1917
Monday 29
Fine day. Very warm.
Down to office. Not much
doing. Lunched at Cosy
Tea rooms. At night
time I bottled plums
having picked about 30
lbs from one of our trees.
Our Bern who went down
to his survey work with
Drummond at Greytown
returned by the next
train. He had given Drum
mond a weeks notice & the
old man turned rusty so
Bern told him he would
leave for home by the next
train which he did.
Arranged with him to go out
to Neil Mackays,
Flatspur run to learn
sheep farming, his wage to
be 20 ­/- per week to start
Germans submarines still
sinking vessels both enemy
& neutral. Auxiliary cruiser
Laurentic sunk & lots of lives
lost.

January 1917
Saturday 27
Fine day. At office.
After dinner I met the
Directors of the Old Show
Grounds Syndicate in refer
ence to the pricing of some of
the land for the Methodist
Church people as a site for
a Home. Got under offer
10 acres at £ 1250.
Buildings were priced at
£ 500. Sent sketch plan
& prices with letter to the
Rev Mr Chapman of Well
ington.
Went down to Park Oval
& watched a game of cricket
between a team from the
Featherston Camp & a Mas
terton team. Our Bern play
ed in my place & made 16
runs. Local team won by
about 80 runs.
At night I bottled 5 large
mason jars of apricots
picked from our own tree.

January 1917
Friday 26
Fine day. Very warm.
At office. DJ Cameron in
re selling part of show
grounds to Methodist
Church & advised me that
Directors would meet at
2.30 on Saturday. Brother
Will came down from Mako
Mako & stayed the night
with us.

January 1917
Thursday 25
Fine day. At office.
Rev Mr Chapman, Rev Mr
Hosking & Mr D Kendell of
the Methodist church arrived
in Masterton to inspect pro
perty on which to erect an
orphanage. Hired a cab &
drove up to Perry’s estate with
C Perry & looked over that then
returned to town & had lunch
at Cosy Tea room after which
we looked at Laings in Tara
rua street then Rawsons in
High Street & the old show
grounds. The latter appealed
very much to them & they gave
instructions to me to get the
syndicate to sell a block of
a few acres. Rang up D J
Cameron the Chairman of the
Directors & arranged that
they meet & discuss the
matter as soon as possible.